Message from the Director - Shanon Shea Miller

Welcome
to the City of San Antonio Office
of Historic Preservation website. The Office of Historic Preservation
promotes the identification, evaluation, rehabilitation, adaptive use, and
restoration of the City's historic, architectural, and archeological
heritage.
San Antonio
is a world-renowned preservation city and is a designated Preserve America
community.

This
website features detailed information about the City's preservation program,
including locally designated historic districts, the City's Historic and
Design Review Commission and the design review process. In addition, you will find
information about federal and local incentives for owners of historic
buildings and rehabilitation practices that can help preserve these
properties.

We
strive to preserve our history for so many reasons. We preserve out of a
need for memories and to understand our past. Ask anyone what they love
about San Antonio
and the answers you'll likely hear will almost certainly involve historic
preservation: the Riverwalk, downtown neighborhoods such as Monte Vista or
Dignowity Hill, a local historic site such as the Missions or the Steves
Homestead, thriving commercial areas such as Southtown, and the like. Our
city has been shaped by our colorful history and our built environment helps
to tell that story.

We
preserve to protect our quality of life, our pride of place and our sense of
community. We preserve so that we can pass on to future generations
San Antonio’s rich past. In order to do that, we, of
course, need to save local landmarks, but also we need to preserve the
eclectic mix of residential and commercial architecture unique to our
community. At the end of the day, we want our neighborhoods and commercial
districts to continue to tell the story of our history to those who come
after us. This can best be done by preserving the condition of our historic
resources and by giving them new life and new purpose by making them our
homes and places of business.

Taking
care of our built environment does more than just save old buildings. It
provides a sense of belonging, a collective memory and a sense of pride in
our past. Preservation is not about longing for the past or resisting
progress. It's about building on the past toward the future. A
preservationist is by definition looking forward and impacting
the future.

We hope
you enjoy exploring the Office of Historic Preservation website.Please sign up for our email newsletter and get involved in our many
activities throughout the year.